


Night out on the rock

by gymguygal



Category: The Expanse (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:02:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22334635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gymguygal/pseuds/gymguygal
Summary: They are at the bar in the evening. They’ve been on this rock for too long, waiting for the Roci to be finished with repairs.
Relationships: Amos Burton/Alex Kamal
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Be gentle with me, it's my first fanfic. Set probably season 2? I dunno

They are at the bar in the evening. They’ve been on this rock for too long, waiting for the Roci to be finished with repairs. Working 16 hours a day had worked for a few days, now they’re too exhausted to do any more repairs. Naomi had pulled Alex out of the cockpit and grabbed Amos from the docks in the afternoon before supper and told them they were going to have the night off. They were going to have the night off, and they were going to relax. They’ve earned it.

Alex had hurriedly made a large supper for the crew. Who knows when they’d have another evening to themselves, and he wanted to actually digest as many calories as he could in his offtime. He had just cleared the table and headed for his bunk, when Naomi cleared her throat and said “do we want to check out one of the bars tonight?” Amos agreed, and Jim agreed. Hell if I’m staying alone on the Roci again, Alex thought, so Alex agreed too.

So here they were, at a grungy bar filled with local Belters on some rock god-knows-where. The neon lights flash on the dance floor as Naomi and the cap are off in some corner, probably playing belter pool. Amos is sitting at a booth, a group of catty Belter women deep in conversation around him. And Alex, well Alex was at the bar, nursing his third whisky alone.

“You looking for some company, copeng?” a man sidles up to him. Puts his hand on Alex’s. A quick glance, Belter tattoos, mesh shirt. A tall white body with slim, long fingers. A working man. Alex considers briefly. Very briefly.

“Not tonight” and whisks him away. He makes eye contact with Amos across the room as he does. Amos looks up at him with a blank stare. What is he thinking, Alex wonders. He returns to his drink.

Alex takes a few more sips of his drink before he is disturbed again. Amos squeezes his bulk onto a tall stool beside him.

“Not taking advantage of the local types when you can get them?” Amos asks, leaning his large forearms on the bar. Alex flashes his wedding band at Amos. Amos grins. “Haven’t seen you use that as an excuse in a while.” Alex shrugs. He doesn’t feel like explaining himself tonight. Amos orders them each another drink. They sit in silence, the muscled Earther and the smaller Martian, for a while, until Naomi comes and joins them.

“Jim had to leave, something about checking on the Roci” she says, annoyed. Her lips slur her words as she flags down the bartender. Gets a shot for each of them. Amos and Alex glance at one another. Naomi seems upset. She and Jim must have had a fight. They take the shots without questioning. Naomi grabs Alex’s hand. “Come on, let’s go dance” she says to them both. Alex is pulled to the dance floor. Amos stays on the bar stool.

The dance floor is packed. This must be the place to be on this small hellhole of a rock. The club lights dance with them, flashing and dipping. Alex is feeling the effects of the alcohol quite a bit. The combination of low gravity and the lack of sleep must be getting to him. He shimmies and dips Naomi as she grooves, a smile coming to her face again. She pulls him tight. Alex steps back. He likes dancing, but he doesn’t like dancing this close to cap’s girl. Naomi frowns, makes a pout face. The music is blasting as she rushes to the bar, grabbing Amos by those large biceps, pulling him onto the dance floor.

Amos is a natural dancer, Alex notices. He grabs her by the waist and her by the shoulders, keeping a few inches between the two of them. Amos grew up in places like this, he knows, but he still wouldn’t expect Amos to be able to move like this with his big arms and strong legs. Amos and Naomi dance the next song, a Martian samba, which Amos leads. Alex’s head is not the only one turned by the shake of their hips. As the song ends and the next begins, Naomi heads to the bathroom. Hopefully not to be sick, Alex thinks. One of the women from earlier puts their hand on Amos’ shoulder. She must want to dance with Amos. Alex feels a sudden flick of annoyance. It must show on his face. Amos shrugs her off, and stays on the dance floor with Alex. What is this, Alex thinks.

Naomi wipes her mouth in the bathroom. Looks at herself in the mirror. She hadn’t meant to have to do that. How embarrassing. She comes back out of the restroom, back to the outskirts of the dance floor, looking for her friends. She spots them. Alex and Amos are in the middle of the dance floor, arms around one another. Chests pressed together, moving in tandem, eyes locked into the other’s. Amos’ leg is between Alex’s as they sway. Alex’s hands are on Amos’ hips and Amos’ hand is on the back of Alex’s head, fingers in his hair. Naomi looks away. She must still be drunk. She turns to go home to the Roci. What she doesn’t see after she looks away is Amos’ lips press into Alex’s. Alex’s lips press back greedily.


	2. A Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amos’ eyes are closed, resting, but Alex’s mind is moving a thousand kph.

They are laying together on Amos’ small bunk late one Sunday morning. Amos is laid on his front, nearly face-down, and Alex is lying on his back. Amos’ eyes are closed, resting, but Alex’s mind is moving a thousand kph.

“How did you know?” Alex asks out of the blue.

“Know what?” Amos asks, eyes blinking open. Alex rolls to face him.

“How did you know you liked men?”

Amos doesn’t even hesitate. “Dunno, just do.” His eyes close again.

“There wasn’t a defining moment?” Alex pursues. 

Amos’ eyes don’t even open as he answers. “Nah.” 

He is being extremely unhelpful, Alex thinks. “But you still like women too, right?” He asks.

“Yup” Amos relays. “None too picky.” 

Alex ponders this. Is he picky? Alex thinks about his wife, about the women he’s been with before, and the women he’s been with after. How hard it was for him to find a woman he wanted to marry. Then he thinks about the men. How easy it was to be with the men. Something opens up in him when thinking about the men, when thinking about Amos, he hadn’t felt when thinking about the women. He holds his breath for a second, lets it out. Wonders.

“I think” he breathes in again, the words coming out a difficult whisper. “I think I might be gay.”

“Shit eh” Amos answers, rolling to face Alex, eyes opening again. Alex grabs his bicep, the thought exciting him a little more.

“I think I might be gay!” he says a little louder. Amos laughs and smiles, and grabs Alex’s hand. Squeezes it. It’s his ring hand. They both look at the ring, and are reminded. Alex’s stomach flops uncomfortably. 

“So, is there a stigma on Mars?” Amos asks quietly, averting his eyes.

“No, there’s not.” Alex answers quickly. “I just… didn’t realize.” 

“Will this make your family feel better?” Amos asks. Alex’s heart rises again.

“Yes, I think it will.” He cheerfully replies. “They will be so much happier knowing.”


End file.
